CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) For the previous six games, third-ranked North Carolina hammered the opposition expecting that the Atlantic Coast Conference season would be more demanding.
But on Saturday, the Tar Heels made a ranked league team look just as helpless as their other opponents.
Rashad McCants scored 19 points to lead seven players in double figures in the Tar Heels' 109-75 rout of No. 22 Maryland, a blowout that was the latest in a growing string of impressive victories.
The Tar Heels (13-1, 2-0) had their highest scoring output ever against the Terrapins (9-3, 1-1), and were two points from matching their biggest margin of victory in the series. It was also the most points Maryland had allowed in any game in the past 14 years.
"We wanted to send a statement out that we're a better basketball club than we were last year," said Sean May, who had 14 points. "There were a lot of question marks about this team because we've had the talent for a few years and haven't really lived up to it. And we used every excuse in the book.
"Our statement was: This team's for real, we're going to get better every day in practice and treat every game as a chance to get better."
As of now, that's a scary thought for the rest of the league. The Tar Heels have won 13 straight games - most by lopsided margins - since a loss to Santa Clara in the season opener. On Saturday, North Carolina shot 57 percent, went 10-for-20 from 3-point range, had a 49-28 rebounding edge and led by as many as 42 points.
The Tar Heels got production throughout the lineup. Raymond Felton added 12 points and six assists, and had little trouble pushing the ball through Maryland's trapping defense. Jawad Williams had 13 points while freshman Marvin Williams added 12.
Even reserve Reyshawn Terry - who came in averaging two points and five minutes a game - finished with 11 points and keyed a 29-5 run spanning halftime that gave the Tar Heels a huge lead.
North Carolina has now cracked the 100-point mark three straight times, the first time that has happened since the Tar Heels' national title season in 1992-93. It was North Carolina's biggest victory margin against a ranked opponent since beating Florida State 103-55 in January 1998.
"We're extremely happy with what went on," coach Roy Williams said, "and I'm extremely impressed with my team."
The Terrapins led by five with about 9 minutes left in the first half, but nothing went right after that. That included Nik Caner-Medley's shorts, which were on backward the entire game and drew mocking chants from the raucous student section.
Maryland shot just 38 percent, including 2-for-22 from 3-point range.
